The demon's muscles tensed, claws digging into the tiles with a screech that set Nathan's teeth on edge. Then it lunged—an explosion of raw, monstrous speed.
"MOVE!" Nathan shouted, shoving Jay with all his strength.
The two friends dove in opposite directions just as the demon's massive bulk slammed into where they'd stood. Its claws shredded the elevator panel in a spray of sparks and twisted metal. Nathan hit the ground hard, the impact jarring up his spine. Pain flared in his shoulder, but adrenaline swallowed it whole.
Jay rolled and scrambled to his feet, wide-eyed. "Nathan, GO!"
Together they bolted from the room, tearing down the hallway at full tilt. Their lungs burned, hearts jackhammering in their chests. But they'd barely made it ten meters before something struck them like a freight train.
A massive clawed hand smashed into both of them from behind. Nathan felt himself lifted off the ground—weightless for a terrifying heartbeat—before he crashed into a pile of overturned cabinets. Jay slammed into the wall beside him with a sickening thud.
"Ngh—shit—!" Nathan gasped, coughing, tasting copper. His whole side burned. He forced himself to look up.
The demon stood at the door they'd just fled through, claws dripping with fresh blood—he didn't even know if it was theirs. Its single eye gleamed with delighted malice.
"Run all you want… little insects…" it rumbled, voice like stones grinding together. "It only makes the hunt more fun."
Jay staggered upright, wiping blood from his mouth. "Nathan—get up! We're not dying here!"
"I'm—fine," Nathan lied, pushing off the debris. His legs trembled but held. "We need… a plan. We can't outrun it forever."
Jay's eyes darted around frantically. "There—look, the side labs! We can split up, confuse it, then meet back by that big junction."
"That's the dumbest idea you've ever had."
Jay managed a manic grin. "Yeah, well, desperate times, right? GO!"
They split, Jay veering left into one dark lab, Nathan into another. The demon paused, its eye narrowing, uncertain. It let out a guttural snarl and chose Jay's direction, crashing after him with terrifying speed.
Nathan's chest heaved. Think. THINK. He spotted a shelf lined with cracked beakers and grabbed one at random—heavy, thick glass. Then he crept to the doorway of his lab, heart in his throat.
A blur of gray muscle and claws streaked past. Nathan didn't think—he hurled the beaker with everything he had. It shattered against the demon's shoulder in a spray of glass and some sticky old chemical.
The creature roared and spun, its giant eye locking onto Nathan.
"Shit," Nathan whispered. "BAD idea."
The demon charged, claws outstretched. Nathan ducked back into the lab, tipping over a metal rack to block the doorway. The demon smashed through it like it was made of twigs, but it gave Nathan a split second to sprint out the other door and back into the hallway.
Jay was there, clutching a broken pipe, panting. "What the hell was that?!"
"Stupid distraction. Didn't work. You got anything smarter?!"
Jay's eyes darted to a thick power cable running along the ceiling, frayed in spots, live wires sparking faintly. "Get it to stand under that! If I can rip it down—"
Nathan didn't waste time arguing. He ran past the demon, waving his arms, shouting. "HEY! Ugly! Over here, you overgrown lizard reject!"
The demon bellowed and chased him, claws gouging the tile. Nathan's throat went dry as he skidded to a stop beneath the cable. The demon was almost on top of him—close enough to smell its rancid breath.
"JAY!"
Jay leaped, swinging the pipe like a bat. Sparks exploded as he struck the cable, tearing it free. It whipped down with a vicious snap—right onto the demon's back.
For a heartbeat, nothing happened.
Then electricity surged through the monster in a blinding flash. Its body spasmed, claws clenching and unclenching, eye rolling wildly. A horrible, warbling scream tore from its throat, so loud Nathan had to clap his hands over his ears.
"Yes! YES!" Jay whooped. "Take that, you one-eyed freak—!"
The demon's claws slammed into Jay, sending him flying down the hall like a rag doll. He hit the ground hard, rolled twice, and lay still.
"JAY!" Nathan screamed.
The demon shuddered and staggered, smoke rising from its scorched skin. Then, with a sickening pop, it tore the cable off its back and tossed it aside. Its eye fixed on Nathan, burning with murderous fury.
Nathan backed up until his shoulders hit the wall. "Okay… okay, we can—"
The demon lunged, closing the gap in a blur. Its claws slammed into the wall on either side of Nathan's head, cracking the concrete. Its foul breath washed over him, thick with blood and rot.
"Run… again…" it rumbled, drool dripping onto Nathan's cheek. "I like it… when they run…"
Nathan's entire body shook. His mind screamed at him to bolt, but his legs were locked, paralyzed by sheer terror.
Then Jay's voice—weak but alive—called out from down the hall. "Hey… ugly…"
The demon's head snapped toward the sound.
Jay was on his knees, bruised and bloody, but grinning through busted lips. He raised both middle fingers high. "Come finish the job, asshole."
The demon roared and tore after him. Nathan sucked in a desperate breath, collapsing to the ground as its bulk vanished down the corridor.
"Jay…" he whispered, forcing himself upright. "Don't you die on me."
Nathan stumbled after them, pushing through pain and dizziness. When he rounded the corner, he found Jay backing into another lab, the demon advancing with slow, savoring steps.
"Hey!" Nathan shouted, voice cracking. "Pick on someone your own size!"
The demon turned just enough for Jay to tackle it from the side. It barely budged—but Jay's momentum carried both of them into a lab bench. Beakers exploded, chemicals splashing everywhere.
Nathan grabbed a heavy metal tray and brought it down on the demon's head. It flinched, claws swiping blindly. Jay ducked under, punching it hard in the side of the knee.
They were two desperate kids against a monster built to kill. Every strike felt pointless, every tiny win erased by its next snarl.
Nathan's vision blurred from sweat and fear. This thing… it's too strong. We can't…
Then the demon caught Jay by the throat and lifted him clean off the ground. Jay kicked wildly, choking, clawing at its fingers.
"NO!" Nathan screamed. He grabbed a broken pipe and stabbed it into the demon's side. It roared and flung Jay across the lab. Nathan tried to pull the pipe back for another stab—but the demon backhanded him so hard the world spun.
He hit the ground, everything flashing white. His ears rang. Through the haze, he saw the demon turn back to Jay, claws flexing.
Nathan's heart twisted. Get up… get up, you coward…
His hands scrabbled at the floor. He pushed himself to his knees.
The demon loomed over Jay, claws raised.
"NO!" Nathan roared, stumbling forward.
But he was too slow. Far too slow.
The demon's claws descended, and Jay's scream tore through the lab, echoing off the walls like the death knell of every hope they'd ever had.
Nathan's eyes widened in shock as the floor beneath Jay and the demon suddenly gave way. With a deafening crack, both plunged through, disappearing into darkness below.
"Jay!" Nathan screamed, rushing to the gaping hole. Dust billowed up, obscuring his view of whatever hidden basement lay beneath.
Heart pounding, he scanned the ruined lab for anything—anything to help. His gaze fell on a small, blood-specked object glinting amid shattered glass.
A stone. Deep red, pulsing faintly.
An awakening stone.
Nathan's breath caught, his hand trembling as he reached for it—unaware his entire fate was about to change.